Sony World Competition — The year's most mesmerising architecture and landscape photography
The Sony World Competition announced the winners and shortlists for their 2026 open category awards. The Awards spotlights photographers telling the stories of our time. Here is the selection of images from the open competition in the architecture and landscape categories.
Hay bales and shimmering rice paddies sit beneath the towering skyline of Qianjiang, the embrace of the city and the rush of time overshadowing the tranquil heroes of the land. (Photo: Hanjun Zhang, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)
A dramatic view of the moon rises above Dreischusterspitze in the Dolomites, Italy, illuminating the rugged limestone summit through drifting clouds. The contrast between the cold moonlight and dark alpine rock creates a powerful, almost mystical atmosphere. (Photo: Sascha Schernthaner, Austria, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) The steep canyon walls of Bandilngan (Windjana Gorge) in Western Australia display the vibrant red colours of the region. The clear night skies are incredible, as seen in this photograph, which reveals the star-filled sky transitioning slowly from dusk to dawn. (Photo: Scott Portelli, Australia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) A foggy winter day in the forest. (Photo: Manuel Ortiga Castillo, Spain, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) This surreal infrared photograph captures Mount Teide rising above a sea of clouds on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands. The infrared technique transforms the pine forest into a spectral white, giving the landscape an ethereal appearance that contrasts dramatically with the golden-brown sky. (Photo: Matteo Redaelli, Italy, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Northern California’s 4000-metre Mount Shasta is dwarfed by a phenomenal lenticular cloud, during intermittent clouds that lasted for 10 days. This image was taken around 20 minutes before the sun set. (Photo: Lisa K. Kuhn, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) This long-exposure photograph captures the clouds flowing around Trøllkonufingur (‘the troll woman’s finger’) on the Faroe Islands. (Photo: Kibong Nam, Korea, Republic Of, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Taken on a cold winter morning in the southeast United States, a thin layer of fog hovers over a cypress swamp at first light. The cypress swamps are known for the dangerous reptiles that live there, and the fog adds to the mystery of what might be lurking beneath the surface. (Photo: Jim Guerard, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Each winter, thousands of migratory birds — geese, ducks, egrets, herons — transform Northern California into a sanctuary of sound and motion. This photograph captures the migration from above, and was taken from the photographer’s single-engine plane. (Photo: Jassen Todorov, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) A dramatic monochrome study of stillness and structure at Abraham Lake in Alberta, Canada. Stripping away the colour reveals the raw, celestial beauty of the bubbles suspended in a dark, frozen abyss. (Photo: Cong Lin, Canada, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) The still waters of Lake Buttermere in England’s Lake District created beautiful reflections in this photograph. The clouds acted as a soft box, with the sun breaking through at times to cast dappled light across the landscape. (Photo: Dimitry Papkov, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Photographed during a trip to the Atacama Desert, Chile. (Photo: Francisco Lima Saraiva, Brazil, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) An early morning glow brings out the rich pastel colours of the Sossusvlei dunes in Namibia. The contrast of the green and delicate peach colours almost overwhelms the senses; the patterns and textures emerging from the shadows give the landscape a distinctive, painterly look. (Photo: J Fritz Rumpf, United States, Winner, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Air conditioning units protrude from the side of a building in downtown Taipei, resembling the controls on a sound mixing desk that can be slid up and down. (Photo: Utshaho Gupta, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) The bell tower of the Cathedral of Brasilia, Brazil. The cathedral was designed by the Brazilian architect, Oscar Niemeyer. (Photo: Ramatis Haywanon da Costa, Brazil, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Located in China’s Gansu Province, Boundless is a sculpture that consists of a central ‘main hall’ surrounded by four ’watchtowers.’ The structures appear and disappear in the vast Gobi Desert as the wind and ever-shifting light alter its presence, creating a true mirage. (Photo: Qingsheng Sun, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) The entrance to a hardware store in Düsseldorf, Germany, with its eye-catching facade. (Photo: Klaus Lenzen, Germany, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) This image was photographed along the Silk Road in Gansu, China. This was once a vital route for trade and cultural exchange, but today, unfinished and abandoned concrete structures stand on the land, resembling ruins without historic origin. (Photo: Kong Zhongxiang, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Taken on a dark night, this view of the paper mill in Obbola, Sweden, reveals layers of shadows, concrete, clouds and sky. (Photo: Markus Naarttijärvi, Sweden, Winner, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) A striking view of the National Museum of Qatar under a clear blue sky, showcasing its desert-rose-inspired design with interlocking geometric disks and sweeping architectural forms. The French architect, Jean Nouvel, designed the National Museum for Doha, Qatar. (Photo: MD Tanveer Rohan, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) The lobby entrance to Alibaba’s China headquarters in Nanjing. The futuristic design feels as if it will transport people to another world. (Photo: Hui Liang, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) A light show held at the Votive Church in Vienna, Austria, combining lighting and music to create an immersive, atmospheric experience. (Photo: Falkmar Ameringer, Austria, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Using the underside of a bridge to create a strong vanishing point, this photograph draws the viewer’s eye towards the horizon, where structure, water and city converge. The narrowing lines emphasise depth and scale, transforming the bridge into a visual pathway between the urban landscape and fading light. (Photo: Eng Tong Tan, Malaysia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Glenn Kaino’s powerful aerial sculpture, Bridge, consists of 200 golden arms hanging from the ceiling of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington DC, USA. Each arm is a cast of the outstretched right arm of Tommie Smith, the American winner of the men’s 200-metre race at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. (Photo: Catherine Wang, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Moonrise meets Jardine House in Hong Kong, where the rising moon mirrors the building’s iconic circular rhythm. In this quiet alignment, nature and architecture echo one another, revealing a rare moment of harmony within the city’s night. (Photo: Carlo Yuen, Hong Kong, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)
/file/attachments/orphans/SaschaSchernthanerAustriaShortlistOpenCompetitionLandscapeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_118085.jpg "A dramatic view of the moon rises above Dreischusterspitze in the Dolomites, Italy, illuminating the rugged limestone summit through drifting clouds. The contrast between the cold moonlight and dark alpine rock creates a powerful, almost mystical atmosphere. (Photo: Sascha Schernthaner, Austria, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/ScottPortelliAustraliaShortlistOpenCompetitionLandscapeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026copy_784318.jpg "The steep canyon walls of Bandilngan (Windjana Gorge) in Western Australia display the vibrant red colours of the region. The clear night skies are incredible, as seen in this photograph, which reveals the star-filled sky transitioning slowly from dusk to dawn. (Photo: Scott Portelli, Australia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/ManuelOrtigaCastilloSpainShortlistOpenCompetitionLandscapeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_912907.jpg "A foggy winter day in the forest. (Photo: Manuel Ortiga Castillo, Spain, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/MatteoRedaelliItalyShortlistOpenCompetitionLandscapeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026copy_607332.jpg "This surreal infrared photograph captures Mount Teide rising above a sea of clouds on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands. The infrared technique transforms the pine forest into a spectral white, giving the landscape an ethereal appearance that contrasts dramatically with the golden-brown sky. (Photo: Matteo Redaelli, Italy, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/LisaKKuhnUnitedStatesShortlistOpenCompetitionLandscapeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_962099.jpg "Northern California’s 4000-metre Mount Shasta is dwarfed by a phenomenal lenticular cloud, during intermittent clouds that lasted for 10 days. This image was taken around 20 minutes before the sun set. (Photo: Lisa K. Kuhn, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/KibongNamKoreaRepublicOfShortlistOpenCompetitionLandscapeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_706138.jpg "This long-exposure photograph captures the clouds flowing around Trøllkonufingur (‘the troll woman’s finger’) on the Faroe Islands. (Photo: Kibong Nam, Korea, Republic Of, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/JimGuerardUnitedStatesShortlistOpenCompetitionLandscapeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_335192.jpg "Taken on a cold winter morning in the southeast United States, a thin layer of fog hovers over a cypress swamp at first light. The cypress swamps are known for the dangerous reptiles that live there, and the fog adds to the mystery of what might be lurking beneath the surface. (Photo: Jim Guerard, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/JassenTodorovUnitedStatesShortlistOpenCompetitionLandscapeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026copy_361543.jpg "Each winter, thousands of migratory birds — geese, ducks, egrets, herons — transform Northern California into a sanctuary of sound and motion. This photograph captures the migration from above, and was taken from the photographer’s single-engine plane. (Photo: Jassen Todorov, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/CongLinCanadaShortlistOpenCompetitionLandscapeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_828557.jpg "A dramatic monochrome study of stillness and structure at Abraham Lake in Alberta, Canada. Stripping away the colour reveals the raw, celestial beauty of the bubbles suspended in a dark, frozen abyss. (Photo: Cong Lin, Canada, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/DimitryPapkovUnitedStatesShortlistOpenCompetitionLandscapeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_350485.jpg "The still waters of Lake Buttermere in England’s Lake District created beautiful reflections in this photograph. The clouds acted as a soft box, with the sun breaking through at times to cast dappled light across the landscape. (Photo: Dimitry Papkov, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/FranciscoLimaSaraivaBrazilShortlistOpenCompetitionLandscapeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026copy_771778.jpg "Photographed during a trip to the Atacama Desert, Chile. (Photo: Francisco Lima Saraiva, Brazil, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/JFritzRumpfUnitedStatesWinnerOpenCompetitionLandscapeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_371500.jpg "An early morning glow brings out the rich pastel colours of the Sossusvlei dunes in Namibia. The contrast of the green and delicate peach colours almost overwhelms the senses; the patterns and textures emerging from the shadows give the landscape a distinctive, painterly look. (Photo: J Fritz Rumpf, United States, Winner, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/UtshahoGuptaUnitedStatesShortlistOpenCompetitionArchitectureSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_670815.jpg "Air conditioning units protrude from the side of a building in downtown Taipei, resembling the controls on a sound mixing desk that can be slid up and down. (Photo: Utshaho Gupta, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/RamatisHaywanondaCostaBrazilShortlistOpenCompetitionArchitectureSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026copy_871748.jpg "The bell tower of the Cathedral of Brasilia, Brazil. The cathedral was designed by the Brazilian architect, Oscar Niemeyer. (Photo: Ramatis Haywanon da Costa, Brazil, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/QingshengSunChinaMainlandShortlistOpenCompetitionArchitectureSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_191625.jpg "Located in China’s Gansu Province, Boundless is a sculpture that consists of a central ‘main hall’ surrounded by four ’watchtowers.’ The structures appear and disappear in the vast Gobi Desert as the wind and ever-shifting light alter its presence, creating a true mirage. (Photo: Qingsheng Sun, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/KlausLenzenGermanyShortlistOpenCompetitionArchitectureSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026copy_979167.jpg "The entrance to a hardware store in Düsseldorf, Germany, with its eye-catching facade. (Photo: Klaus Lenzen, Germany, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/KongZhongxiangChinaMainlandShortlistOpenCompetitionArchitectureSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_527998.jpg "This image was photographed along the Silk Road in Gansu, China. This was once a vital route for trade and cultural exchange, but today, unfinished and abandoned concrete structures stand on the land, resembling ruins without historic origin. (Photo: Kong Zhongxiang, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/MarkusNaarttijarviSwedenWinnerOpenCompetitionArchitectureSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_359865.jpg "Taken on a dark night, this view of the paper mill in Obbola, Sweden, reveals layers of shadows, concrete, clouds and sky. (Photo: Markus Naarttijärvi, Sweden, Winner, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/MDTanveerRohanUnitedStatesShortlistOpenCompetitionArchitectureSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026copy_764497.jpg "A striking view of the National Museum of Qatar under a clear blue sky, showcasing its desert-rose-inspired design with interlocking geometric disks and sweeping architectural forms. The French architect, Jean Nouvel, designed the National Museum for Doha, Qatar. (Photo: MD Tanveer Rohan, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/HuiLiangChinaMainlandShortlistOpenCompetitionArchitectureSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_820575.jpg "The lobby entrance to Alibaba’s China headquarters in Nanjing. The futuristic design feels as if it will transport people to another world. (Photo: Hui Liang, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/FalkmarAmeringerAustriaShortlistOpenCompetitionArchitectureSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026copy_923273.jpg "A light show held at the Votive Church in Vienna, Austria, combining lighting and music to create an immersive, atmospheric experience. (Photo: Falkmar Ameringer, Austria, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/EngTongTanMalaysiaShortlistOpenCompetitionArchitectureSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_314061.jpg "Using the underside of a bridge to create a strong vanishing point, this photograph draws the viewer’s eye towards the horizon, where structure, water and city converge. The narrowing lines emphasise depth and scale, transforming the bridge into a visual pathway between the urban landscape and fading light. (Photo: Eng Tong Tan, Malaysia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/CatherineWangUnitedStatesShortlistOpenCompetitionArchitectureSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_157633.jpg "Glenn Kaino’s powerful aerial sculpture, Bridge, consists of 200 golden arms hanging from the ceiling of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington DC, USA. Each arm is a cast of the outstretched right arm of Tommie Smith, the American winner of the men’s 200-metre race at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. (Photo: Catherine Wang, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/CarloYuenHongKongShortlistOpenCompetitionArchitectureSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026copy_191238.jpg "Moonrise meets Jardine House in Hong Kong, where the rising moon mirrors the building’s iconic circular rhythm. In this quiet alignment, nature and architecture echo one another, revealing a rare moment of harmony within the city’s night. (Photo: Carlo Yuen, Hong Kong, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
Hay bales and shimmering rice paddies sit beneath the towering skyline of Qianjiang, the embrace of the city and the rush of time overshadowing the tranquil heroes of the land. (Photo: Hanjun Zhang, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)